When you wake up in the morning, which of the following scenarios would you prefer to identify with?

Scenario 1: I look forward to a new day and a chance to move closer to my goals. I never know what to expect, but I’m ready for any challenge knowing that at the end of the day, although I will come home exhausted, I will be full of gratification.

Scenario 2: I dread waking up knowing that each day I will have to drag myself to work. I spend my day counting down the hours until the work day is over and make it home exhausted and frustrated.

What is the biggest difference in these two scenarios? Could it be that you are working at a job that you hate or is it simply a matter of your perspective? To me, the answer is your passion. If you are not passionate about what you do every single day, then you are probably doing something wrong. Of course there is a lot of pressure to choose a major that will lead to status or will pay comfortably, but at the end of the day, if you’re not happy then not much else matters. So how do you find a major that makes you happy and will lead you to live a successful and fulfilling career?

Accounting is not just “crunching numbers” and mathematical calculations all day. It is an opportunity to see how a business functions and how each employee’s contributions develop the business as a whole. Beyond that, I truly believe there is such thing as “good business.” I believe there are profitable companies that are also successful in encouraging their employees to better themselves and their environment. There are companies founded based on common beliefs that they can change the world for the better. I believe that ALL profitable companies need to be held accountable for the community they belong to and, reaching beyond that, to leave a positive impact on the world.

As we all know, many executives can lose sight of the “good” once money begins to pile up. The power money has can breed corruption quickly. As an accountant and hopefully one day a CPA, I would feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that proper, ethical practices are in place. I hope to be able to help businesses prosper so they can contribute more to the world around them and provide assurance that they are not taking advantage of either their profits or employees.

So how do you choose an area you would want to spend your career in?

You may find that you have many passions to choose from just as most of us do. Try to focus on what stands out the most to you in your daily life and makes you feel the most accomplished. When I started taking accounting and business courses I found that I was much more dedicated, interested, and motivated by them than any of my core classes. I encourage you to take the time to explore what matters the most to you and develop your own set of values and beliefs, regardless of societal pressure. Try new challenges, explore interesting classes, join fun organizations, and ultimately do whatever drives you not only to success but most importantly, happiness.

In the words of Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

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About txcpa2b

The Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional organization representing Texas CPAs. TSCPA has 20 local chapters statewide and has 27,000 members. The Society is committed to serving the public interest with programs that advance the highest standards of ethics and practice within the CPA profession.
TXCPA2B is a blog written by Texas students in pursuit of the CPA certificate. The views expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily held by TSCPA or our members.